County Antrim Shield#Finals

{{Infobox football tournament

|name = County Antrim Shield

|organiser = {{nowrap|County Antrim & District F.A.}}

|founded = 1888

|region = Northern Ireland

|current champions = Glentoran (2024–25)

|most successful club= Linfield (43 titles)

|website = [http://www.countyantrimfa.org/default.aspx County Antrim F.A.]

}}

The County Antrim & District Football Association Senior Shield (more commonly known as the County Antrim Shield) is a football competition in Northern Ireland. The competition is open to senior teams who are members of the North East Ulster Football Association (also known as the County Antrim & District Football Association) (membership of which extends geographically beyond County Antrim itself), often plus intermediate teams who qualify via the Steel & Sons Cup, depending on the numbers required.{{cite book|title=The Whites: A History of Distillery FC 1880-2004|author=Dawson Simpson|year=2004|page=20}} For the 2010–11 and 2011-12 seasons, only the winners took part.

The current Shield holders are Glentoran, who beat Larne 5–4 on penalties in the 2024–25 final, winning the trophy for the first time since the 2010–11 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nilantrimshieldhist.html|title=Northern Ireland - List of County Antrim Shield Winners|website=RSSSF}}

History

The County Antrim & District Football Association was founded on April 23, 1888 by the clubs Ballyclare, Beechmount, Belfast Athletic, Clarence, Cliftonville, Distillery, Linfield, Mountcollyer, Oldpark, Whiteabbey and YMCA. The County Antrim FA has organised the competition for the County Antrim Shield annually ever since. Originally only clubs from County Antrim (to which most but not all of Belfast belonged) could enter; in 1896 it was extended to incorporate clubs from south east Belfast (in particular Glentoran and Ulster), which belonged to County Down (other clubs from County Down to have entered later on include Ards, Bangor and Newry City). Glenavon from Lurgan (County Armagh) first entered in 1912. In 1971/72 and 1972/73, the final was played over 2 legs.

During the later 1980s and early 1990s, the North East Ulster F.A. invited senior clubs from outside its jurisdiction to participate. Hence the Shield has been won by Newry Town (later Newry City) and Glenavon, neither of which are members of the North East Ulster Football Association.{{cite book|title=100 Years of Football: The History of the Co. Antrim FA|author=Graham Hamilton|year=1988|page=109}}

The Shield has been regularly sponsored since the late 1980s. The 2014–15 competition was sponsored by Toals Bookmakers.

Final results

Key:

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|Scores level after 90 minutes. A replay was required.

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|Scores level after extra time. A replay was required.

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|Scores level after 90 minutes. Winner was decided in extra time with no penalty shootout required.

style="background:#cef2e0; text-align: center;"|{{aet}} (g.g.)

|Scores level after 90 minutes. Winner was decided in extra time by golden goal.

style="background:#cedff2; text-align: center;"|{{aet}} pens.

|Scores level after extra time. A penalty shootout was required to determine the winner.

style="background:#cedff2; text-align: center;"|pens.

|Scores level after 90 minutes. A penalty shootout was required to determine the winner.

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|Two-legged final. Aggregate score across two legs determined the winner with a penalty shootout required if score was level.

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!width="25"|#

!width="65"|Season

!width="145"|Winner
(number of titles)

!width="145"|Score

!width="145"|Runner-up

!width="200"|Venue

|1888–89

|Distillery (1)

|8 – 4

|YMCA

|Ulster Cricket Ground, Belfast

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|1889–90

|style="background-color:#D3D3D3"|

|Shield not awarded

|style="background-color:#D3D3D3"|

|1890–91

|Black Watch (1)

|4 – 2

County Antrim Shield#Finals

History

Final results

Performance by club

Centenary Chalice

Notes

References

External links